Disruptions & Balance
by bluefurcape
Summary: After the war, Kakashi is made Hokage, overlooking the rebuilding of Konoha while trying to balance it with his budding relationship with Sakura. It's difficult, but they make it work. The return of Uchiha Sasuke threatens to test what they've built.
1. Part One

Disruption & Balance

Part One

Their relationship was a new, fragile thing. Secret glances, shared looks while no one was looking, and tiny smiles of encouragement. It truly began when Kakashi asked her to be his assistant when he ascended to the position of Hokage, on some level knowing he was doing to it keep Sakura close, and perhaps draw her closer. He should have calculated that what was between them could grow to something else more quickly than he anticipated, but the pessimistic side of him doubted she would consider him in such a way. He imagined, at first, a slow build-up over the years until he retired from the position and was ready to ask when they were both in a good place if she would consider him. He barely hoped she would be just as interested.

But she was.

And he was ecstatic.

What he was not quite so happy about was the fact that she was his subordinate and he, her employer, in a position of great power, giving every appearance of impropriety to the Council and to the village as a whole if they were to make their relationship public. They were even risking the possibility of a full corruption investigation that would result in every detail of their life dissected and put into the public record. So they chose to be quiet about it and it worked.

Until the day Uchiha Sasuke returned.

A small crowd was gathered in front of the main gates. Kakashi approached, the edges of his Hokage robes weighing him down as he held his former student's eyes. Naruto wrapped an arm around Sasuke protectively, chin raised in challenge. Kakashi was half tempted to have the formerly missing nin arrested on the spot, after all that they'd been through, after all that Sasuke had put his team through. Then, there was a blur of pink hair and Sakura threw her entire self at Sasuke, tears running down her face. The years of waiting, the promises broken, remade, and broken again, had culminated to this moment.

Sasuke was home.

As the three embraced and Kakashi stood a little ways apart from them, the crowd murmured, watching their Hokage and the small squadron of elite shinobi that had also gathered to witness the event. Kakashi could tell from some of their faces that arrest was exactly what they expected, but others knew the tragic narrative that had surrounded the three and looked on in sympathy.

"Sensei, I'm willing to take responsibility for Sasuke and whatever he does from this point on, but he's _back_ ," Naruto said.

Of course he would say that. Kakashi resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh. Actually, no, he did it anyway. He wanted Naruto to see exactly what he thought of this whole situation. No matter what Sasuke was before as a citizen of Konoha, it didn't change the fact that now, the Uchiha was a war criminal. The Hokage couldn't let war criminals run free within the village without consequences. All of his predecessors would rise out of their graves and place a thousand year curse or something equally devastating on him.

Kakashi stared down his former student with both eyes, because now the Copy Nin didn't have his sharingan anymore. He wasn't certain what that meant for his legacy in the history books, but he was never one to care. His gaze shifted to Naruto who was, to Kakashi's knowledge, a more powerful shinobi than anyone had ever conceived could happen. What, like he could banish _both_ of the most powerful warriors the village had ever known, one of whom was constantly vetted as his successor?

Kakashi took a deep breath. "I'll see you at the Tower."

Back at his desk, Kakashi rested the entire weight of his head in his hands. He bet no other Hokage had to deal with this. Wait, maybe the Third did because Orochimaru had left under similar circumstances. But Orochimaru never _came back_. Why? Why did the universe choose him like this?

There was a gentle knock at the door, one he recognized immediately as Sakura's by its rhythm. Before he talked to all of them together, he wanted to speak to her and hear her thoughts first.

"Come in," he said. After she settled into the chair placed in front of his desk, he asked, "Are you here to tell me that we should let him do as he pleases because he's sorry?"

The sarcasm didn't sit well with her. Her lips thinned before she answered, "You of all people should know that's not what I think."

"Then what should I do? I'm at a loss here."

"Let him earn it," she stated simply.

He carefully studied her face, which was the total opposite of what it had been only moments before with Sasuke. Her green eyes were clear and bright, although there were traces of redness from recently shed tears. She perched on the edge of her seat, posture perfect, hands folded neatly in her lap. Kakashi straightened in his seat. "Go on."

"The war is over. Sasuke's achieved what he's wanted to accomplish—even though he didn't care enough about the consequences to the people who cared about him—but I don't see another reason for him to betray Konoha again.

People deserve second chances, but I'm not saying we should be stupid about it. Naruto, despite what everyone says about him, is not any idiot either. We both saw the risk that Sasuke had become to Konoha during the war. We both know the consequences."

"Then why? Why should I let him stay?"

"It's not for him—it's for us." She took a deep breath. "Despite all that, both Naruto and I are willing to put our reputation on the line and give him one last shot." Sakura reached over the desk, taking his hand. "Not everyone gets it together immediately. All of us are just works in progress."

He knew she wasn't just talking about Sasuke, but also Kakashi's own issues as a person. As much as he'd like to point out that as messed up as he was, he'd never abandoned his village, he had to admit that he saw her point. Uchiha Sasuke was lucky he had her on his side. "You _and_ Naruto will take responsibility for him. For the first year, he never leaves the house without either one of you as an escort. At the end of that first year, we'll see what the situation is and discuss his future."

Surprisingly, Sasuke didn't argue for himself about the impositions placed on him when Kakashi repeated these restrictions later with all of them gathered. And so it came to be that the last heir of the Uchiha had returned at last.

#

The clock on the wall read 7 PM.

Kakashi glanced over at his assistant who was reading through files at her desk. "Don't you have places to be?"

One month had passed since Sasuke's return. There were dark circles beneath Sakura's eyes as she looked up from her work. "Oh, is it so late already? I had no idea."

"Would you like to come over for dinner?" he asked.

"I'd love that. Thanks." Her smile alone was worth falling into a small panic about which recipes to fall back on in his limited knowledge of cuisine. He could cook, but as a man of limited tastes, he didn't mind eating the same thing everyday. Meanwhile, he found himself wanting to impress his girlfriend at least a little bit. Grilled fish and rice just seemed so boring when he considered offering it to her.

He was an adult. He was the Hokage. He could think of _something_.

"Yum, curry!" she said as he laid her plate in front of her. She leaned in, inhaling the steam rising out of the food.

"Eat up," he said, smiling. In the safety of his rooms, although they were the ones provided to him as Hokage, he felt safe enough to pull down his mask to press a kiss on her cheek.

Pakkun looked up from where he and the other summons were gorging themselves on kibble and sniffed the air. "Since when did you learn how to make curry?"

"I've always known how to cook curry." Kakashi stirred the vegetables and chunks of meat in the sauce, hoping nothing had been undercooked.

"I think this is the first time I've ever smelled—"

"Ah, who wants a treat?" Kakashi stood, going over to the blue ceramic jar full of dog biscuits. The summons, who at this point had long finished gobbling down their food, perked up immediately. They gathered around him eagerly. He tossed each one directly into their mouths, to ensure that there'd be no fighting later on about who got more treats than the other.

When Kakashi returned to the table, Sakura teased, "You spoil them."

"I saw you sneak them more than few treats before their dinner, so who's spoiling them now?"

"Pakkun just seemed deprived. He's very sneaky, you know."

"You're telling me." Kakashi chuckled. He ate his first spoonful of curry and found it adequate. "Once, I put them on a diet, but none of them were losing weight. I come back home early one day and discovered that Pakkun here has discovered where I kept the kibble _and_ picked the lock."

"We'll find it again someday, you know. There's only so many places you can hide stuff around here," Pakkun said, licking the last crumbs of biscuit from his lips.

"At least it'll keep Kakashi sharp. He's been getting soft ever since he became Hokage." Sakura nodded.

"Excuse me, I am as sharp as ever."

Pakkun padded over, tilting his head. "You say that but is that a bit of pudge I see?"

Kakashi patted his stomach self-consciously. "It's just the way I'm sitting. My abs are still washboard, thank you very much."

"Oh are they?" Sakura waggled her brows.

"All across Fire country, they talk about how shredded your Hokage is—be proud."

Sakura choked on the glass of water she was sipping. When her coughs turned into full out laughter, he couldn't stop himself from laughing too. Being Hokage was the most difficult job he'd ever had, but it was worth it for evenings like this. Where they commiserated over paperwork and shared juicy bits of gossip they'd picked up during the day.

"So Yui and Kayo finally hooked up!" Sakura clapped in glee.

"I'm pretty sure they did that because they were scared you were going to lock them in a room together overnight," Kakashi said.

She avoided his eyes. The spoon heading to his mouth stopped midair as he fixed her with a stare. "Sakura."

"Hm?"

"Did you lock them in a room together overnight?"

"No!"

"Oh, good."

"It just so happened they had a lot of work to do and I arranged for them to be the only ones in the office for the evening." She lifted her shoulders in an exaggerated display of innocence. "And it happened more than once."

"Their future children thank you."

"I like to think of it like I'm a fairy godmother of match-ups." She scraped the last of her food off her plate.

They did the dishes together—he washed, she dried. When she mentioned he should think about getting a dishwasher, he shrugged it off with some excuse about not having enough dishes to justify it. However the real reason may have been that he enjoyed the little ritual they'd created after dinner and the extra time spent standing close in the small kitchen where her scent seemed to wrap around him.

He noticed Sakura staring off into space in thought and asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Sasuke has been…pursuing me." She took a plate he'd just cleaned out of his hand and began wiping it down. "He still thinks I'm interested in him like that."

"Ah. I suppose the whole, 'He doesn't leave the house without you or Naruto as an escort' deal doesn't help."

"It's not ideal," she replied. "And I'm not ready to tell him that I've been seeing you for a few months now."

Kakashi allowed himself a brief, shiny fantasy where he held Sakura's hand in public, announcing to the world that she was off the market. Possibly for good. He sighed. How many months before retirement again? So much reconstruction still to get done still, but Naruto could pick up where he'd left off. Kakashi had actually meant to retired some time ago, but he'd unintentionally extended his tenure by tying his successor's time up as an overgrown babysitter. "I trust you'll figure this out."

"Thanks. I know it might be weird for you."

He tapped her nose with a bubble covered finger, making her squeal. "You don't have to worry about me."

#

Kakashi woke up alone in his bed, patting the spot Sakura once occupied before realizing she had already gone to work. He pressed his cheek into the pillow she'd used as he reached for the note left for him on the night stand. He read it after he stretched out his sore muscles with a satisfied hum.

 _Had an early shift at the hospital. Don't be late for your 10 AM meeting! I'll see you in the afternoon._

 _Kisses,_

 _Sakura_

His attention caught on a pair of lacy panties left deliberately on the floor and a grin formed on his lips. Sakura had cleaned up all of the clothes they'd torn off each other except those. He was eagerly looking forward to an encore tonight.

The digital numbers of his clock read 9:34 AM and he surmised he would be acceptably late if he took a shower and fed the dogs first. He thought it might shock his staff into an early death if he showed up on time, so he mercifully decided to spare them by staying true to his habits.

The meeting was mercifully short and he managed to get ahead of a lot of his work when he decided he could reward himself by visiting Sakura at the hospital. He turned the corner in the hallway, thinking of excuses lame enough to make her laugh when he noticed Sasuke's energy signature. His suspicions were confirmed as he approached Sakura's closed office door when he heard the sounds of their conversation.

"—not there when I stopped by last night with Naruto," Sasuke said.

"I was out with some friends."

Kakashi immediately pivoted and began walking back the way he'd come. It wasn't his place to eavesdrop, as much as he'd like that. He ran into Naruto studying the offerings of a vending machine.

"Sensei! Good timing. You owe me at least a hundred ryo by this point. 128 if you want to be exact." Naruto stuck out his hand, palm up.

Kakashi sighed, pulling out a small money pouch. He paused. "Did you know that Sasuke is still interested in Sakura?"

"Huh? Oh. Yea, I guess. I think Sasuke was surprised Sakura had moved on, but he thinks he can convince her again." Naruto peered into the slight opening in the pouch in curiosity. "But she's seeing somebody."

Kakashi almost flinched. "Oh?" Even to his own ears, his voice sounded strained despite his efforts to keep it casually interested.

"We came by really late last night because I didn't feel like going to the emergency room—"

"That's stupid."

"—but she wasn't there! And it wasn't like she had hospital shift because we checked."

"She could have slept over a friend's place."

"Nah, Sakura hates not sleeping in her own bed. Even if she drinks and falls asleep somewhere, she'll wake up and walk home in the middle of the night." Naruto rubbed his chin. "I wonder who it could be?"

"Who indeed?" Kakashi pretended to think.

"Well, whoever the bastard is, I feel bad for him."

"Why?"

"Well, it's tough to compete with first love. You remember what she was like."

Kakashi frowned. Memories of the old days played in his mind. Sakura's obsession with Sasuke had been on the strong side, to put it gently. "People change. First love is a load of crap, anyway."

"Hey, don't knock first love. Hinata is my first love and I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"How does your first love feel about you spending about half your time with your long lost best male friend?" Kakashi surrendered a few coins which Naruto used to purchase a neon colored drink with enough sugar to kill a horse.

"She's very underst—" Naruto cut himself off as Sakura came around the corner. Her eyes widened at the sight of them. "Is something wrong?"

Sakura smiled weakly. The edges of her lipstick were just slightly smeared around. "N-no. Kakashi, I'm going to grab something to eat—do you want to come?"

"I could use something to eat too—Ichiraku?" Naruto crushed the now empty can of soda.

"Actually, Sasuke said he needs to run an errand so you need to go with him. I can't go because I need to finish my shift after I come back," she said.

"Okay, but make sure Kakashi-sensei pays. Make. Sure." Naruto clapped his hands on her shoulders, his blue eyes going large in emphasis. She laughed softly and nodded.

As Sakura and Kakashi walked out of the hospital, he lightly commented, "If there's one thing I've learned at my age: never owe Naruto money. The amount never seems to go down. He's as bad as a loan shark."

"Maybe if you stopped sticking him with the bill?"

"If you're not going to be helpful, then I don't want to hear it."

She nudged him gently, her lips quirked. He tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear, feeling the urge to lean down and kiss her, but they were surrounded by people. He turned his head because of that strange intuition where you knows you're being watched. He spotted Sasuke standing at the window from the third floor, focusing on them intently, face drawn into a frown.

#

They chose a small café near the hospital. It was a favorite of Sakura's, with deeply green ivy running up its walls and a worn sign hanging above its door that read, "Sweet Home." They ordered their food and sat at a table in the empty patio area.

Sakura folded the paper napkin in front of her smaller and smaller. "I have to tell you something."

"I'm listening."

"Sasuke kissed me."

Kakashi called upon all of the carefully cultivated calm he'd learned over the years and it still wasn't enough. He pick up his own napkin and began tearing it to pieces as he spoke, "Can I kill him?"

"I slapped him, if that helps."

"Only if you also threw him into a wall."

"The hospital can't afford that."

"I will increase the hospital budget explicitly for this purpose."

"Political corruption at its finest…" Sakura laughed, but it trailed off. She stared at her hands. "I told him that I'm in a relationship with you."

"I hope he finally got a clue then." That at least confirmed Kakashi's suspicions about whether Sasuke had realized the truth back at the hospital.

"He thinks you're using me." Sakura paused as the server brought the food they'd ordered. Soup for her and a salad with chicken for him. When he made his choice earlier, he was most definitely _not_ thinking about the comment about him going 'soft' since his promotion.

"Excuse me?" He stabbed his fork into the pile of leaves that were supposedly good for him. He harbored a private conspiracy theory concerning lettuce farmers controlling the government that really had no basis since he, as the Hokage, was basically the government. He'd yet to have shadowy meetings with the Lettuce Council, although he was waiting for it any day now. He pulled down his mask to eat. Contrary to popular belief, he did eat in public.

"Because we haven't told anyone. He thinks you're forcing me to keep it a secret and—oh I don't know." She rubbed her face, her voice tired. "I tried to tell him he had the wrong idea, but he wouldn't listen. I'm sorry. If I'd just kept it together—"

"What he decides to believe is not on you."

"I just can't help but feel like this is my fault."

"And I can't help but feel you're wrong." Silently, Kakashi counted the time left before his term came to an end, calculating down to the second. The math was perfect, but he kept redoing it, hoping for a shorter outcome.

She didn't answer, unfolding the napkin, revealing a complex webbed pattern imprinted on its surface.

"Hey." He rested his fork on his plate.

"Hm?"

"You know what I've been dying to do since my eyes went back to normal?"

Her brows rose when he told her.

#

"This machine is rigged," she stated flatly.

"Sakura, you know as shinobi we are banned from almost every arcade game out there. If it's rigged, then you know it's fair for us." Kakashi said all of this without looking at her, staring hard at the purple bunny she'd picked out among the other toys crammed into their glass prison. "Depth perception is amazing."

"You're going too far!" She pressed her nose to the glass, watching the metal claw swing back and forth.

"Almost. Almost." The claw descended on the bunny, latching successfully onto an ear. Kakashi drew back his hands, curling them in triumph. To his horror, the claw drew the toy briefly into the air before it slipped back into the pile. They fell silent, listening to the faintly irritating tinkle of cheerful music as the claw moved across its tracking and dropped nothing into the opening.

"Well, that was pointless." Sakura straightened. When she noticed his pout, even behind his mask, she squeezed his hand. "But it was fun. I have to go back to the hospital. I'll see you in a bit?"

"Okay. Love you." He touched the glass of the claw machine in mourning. Damn, he thought he'd be really good at this for some reason. He was good at everything else.

She stopped in her tracks. Then, she glanced around before pressing a quick peck on his cheek. "Love you too."

It was only after Kakashi stared at the accursed purple bunny made of plush for a few minutes after she left that he realized what he'd done. That was the first time they'd ever said that to each other and he'd barely registered it. He was happy, but this wasn't what he'd planned. Why did the universe not listen to his plans? He glared at the bunny. "This is your fault."

He was able to avoid working for almost another hour before one of his staff tracked him down and dragged him back to the Tower. Sakura had trained them well.

It came time for Sakura to finish her shift and come into the office, but there was no sign of her. Kakashi drummed his pen against his desk, watching the door for any signs of pink hair.

"How strange. Sakura is never late," Yahiko commented as he came in to drop off a bunch of files.

"Something probably came up at the hospital," Kakashi said.

"I actually saw her leave the hospital a while ago."

Kakashi finished the rest of the conversation in automatic, single syllable answers until Yahiko left. He stared at his desk without having much to distract him there except the reminder that he needed to bounce ideas with Sakura for some of his decisions. Sakura's desk sat to his right, kitschy photo frames and other knickknacks decorating it. He went over to it, picking up the old photo of Team Seven, a moment captured forever before everything went to shit. Now, things were better, much, much better. He'd worked hard to it that way. Heaven help him, was it too late to banish Sasuke forever?

He set the frame back down among the others of smiling family and friends. He wasn't inclined to keep personal items on his own area, but he wouldn't mind one of him and Sakura together.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Sakura said, coming through the door. "I got tied up with something."

"No worries. However, many filing cabinets did spontaneously combust in your absence."

"Oh, so everything was normal."

"Yep." He took her by the wrist and dragged her into an embrace.

She blushed, murmuring against his chest, "Didn't we say no PDA in the office?"

"This is a termination hug."

"Excuse me?" She pulled back, narrowing her eyes. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"As my assistant, yes. I decided I can't wait until retirement."

"Oh," she said, stepping close again. She wound her arms around his middle. "Does this have anything to do with Sasuke?"

"Who's that again?" Kakashi feigned being deep in thought. "Ah. Him. He didn't even cross my mind."

Sakura raised a brow, telling him she wasn't buying it.

"Well, now he can't say anything about us keeping our relationship a secret," he added.

"You're going to fall apart without me." She smirked, backing him up until his backside hit the edge of his desk. Papers shifted on impact.

"Will not," he lied.

"Will too," she whispered against his jaw. He shivered at the light touch of her breath against his skin. She drew back suddenly, leaving him cold. "So, termination not accepted."

"That's not how employment works."

"Sorry, I have to go to the basement for some files."

"Still fired."

"You're cute," she said over her shoulder as she left the room.

#

Somehow, after being fired, Sakura became even more of a slave driver than before. He lost track of all the papers he'd signed and the decrees made on his behalf, not to mention the additional research he was forced to do to brush up on existing laws of Konoha and foreign villages. Exhausted, he fell asleep at his desk, only waking when Sakura gently touched his shoulder.

"No more. Please," he mumbled, covering his head.

"Do you want to head to the udon cart for dinner?"

"I lost all my money at the claw machine," he said, sniffing.

"I'll pay." She sighed, encouraging him onto his feet.

They left the lobby of the Tower, stepping into the fading light of the setting sun. Kakashi stretched, relishing the rise in temperature after spending hours in his chilly office, popping his stiff joints as he did. He stopped after a few feet. Casually, without turning around, he addressed the shinobi leaning up against the wall next to

the entrance. "Breaking rules already, Sasuke?"

"That's where you're wrong. I have two escorts right here, Hokage-sama." Sasuke uncrossed his arms as he came up to them. "Naruto dropped me off earlier, so I didn't walk here alone."

"How long have you been waiting?" Sakura asked, frowning.

"I just felt that we should finish our conversation from earlier with all relevant parties present," Sasuke said.

"And I made it very clear earlier that there was nothing more to talk about," she replied. Her eyes flashed dangerously. It was one of the signs that she was about to fly into a rage.

"Kakashi." Sasuke ignored her. "I was made aware of what was going on."

"Yes, and?" Kakashi glanced over at Sakura, whose lips were pressed together as she simmered in upset silence. He began weighing his options. So far, he'd trusted her to handle this situation, knowing in his gut that anything he did might be the wrong move. However, directly confronted like this, he wasn't sure if he could stop himself from saying his piece.

"You know how she can be. I…I admit I've made mistakes in the past that hurt her. That's why I want to know for certain this time that her heart won't be broken," Sasuke said.

Kakashi felt his soul almost escape out of his mouth. This. Was. Rich. "As much as I'd like to promise you the world, Sasuke, that's something I can't do, because it's really not up to me. Now, if you'd like, I can walk you home or you can come sit with us awkwardly and be a third wheel."

Sasuke, unsurprisingly, chose to go home. He seemed to finally notice how far he'd pushed the kunoichi these past few days. Sakura went to run some errands until Kakashi came back, deciding to meet up at the udon cart later.

The streets near the Uchiha compound, once solely filled with shops run by the clan, were slowly being reoccupied by villagers from other families. Kakashi caught Sasuke lingering in front of a store that was in the process of covering the sign, coating over the red and white fan that symbolized the Uchiha.

"I don't know what I expected when I came back," Sasuke said.

"Well, all things considered, I think it turned out all right for you. It could have been worse."

"There are just so many changes. It's stupid of me to be surprised by that—I've been gone for a long time, but I just thought…" Sasuke trailed off the sight of children running by with their dog caught his attention. "I'm actually glad new families have started living here. This area was so deserted before. It was terrible walking home when I was younger."

Kakashi felt a stab of pity imagining the younger Sasuke heading back after team practices to a part of the village emptied of life, constantly reminded of the betrayal, unable to forget the past. Yet, Sasuke had never brought this up before. "You've gotten chattier since you left and came back."

"There's a lot to catch up on," Sasuke spoke slowly, considering everything that came out of his mouth. "You're Hokage now, and Naruto's obviously next, and Sakura—she's different too."

"This may come as a surprise to you, but people do change."

"Except me. I don't feel different at all. I put my entire life on hold to pursue a revenge that turned out nothing like I expected. Now I'm back here, but I'm still the same while everyone's moved on."

"I'm going to have to disagree with you there. You've changed plenty." Kakashi's arm shot out, neatly blocking a cloth pouch filled with powdered chalk aimed at Sasuke. The boy who threw it and his friends who had dared him ran away screaming. Sasuke shrugged without commenting on it. His despondent lack of reaction was worrying. He knew the prank had been coming, obviously because it was a child's attack, and he had just been about to take it. It was only a little while ago that Sasuke had been primed and ready to fight on Sakura's behalf and with that taken away from him, he seemed deflated.

"When I heard Sakura also put her reputation on the line for me, I thought it meant she still had feelings for me." Sasuke picked up the pouch that had fallen on the ground. He untied it, dumping out the chalk in a cloud that coated his fingers in pale dust. "How do you think I've changed? I just assumed that of her because that's how I've always thought of her."

"You didn't used to ask these questions."

"Are you saying I should shut up?" Sasuke shot him an annoyed looked.

"You're free to interpret as you will." Kakashi stopped in front of the gates of the Uchiha compound. The wood had been recently been repainted and lacquered, the acrid smell still lingering in the air, the only place in the area where the Uchiha fan was fresh and new. "One last question."

Sasuke opened the gate, but waited at the threshold. Kakashi couldn't believe he was about to ask this. In any other circumstance, he wouldn't give a damn about who Sasuke was interested in, but here, if it concerned her, he needed to know. "Do you love Sakura?"

Sasuke stood there in silence for so long that for a moment it was unclear whether he heard the question. Finally, he sighed. "It's complicated. More than anything, I wanted to make up for my treatment of her in the past." His gaze dropped. "I was thinking of that when I pushed her about her relationship with you."

That wasn't an answer, but Kakashi nodded. "All right. I'll see you later." He was about to walk away when he added, "And remember: step outside of the compound without an escort and I'll throw you in prison."

It was always good to remind people you had the power to throw them in prison.

As the gate was about to shut completely, Kakashi could have sworn he heard Sasuke muttering under his breath, "What does she see in you?"

#

Note: I began writing this with every intention of having a super messed up scene and a lot of angst, but I am incapable of that. It ended up being so cute and fluffy I wanted to get myself checked for cavities. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it!


	2. Part Two

Part Two

Kakashi narrowed his eyes.

Sakura gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged, although her brow wrinkled as she watched his reaction. "Naruto needed the day off because of a promise he'd made to Hinata. I felt bad because I've been letting him do most of the escorting since I've been so busy lately…"

"So you brought him to work?" He crossed his arms. Was there a holiday known as 'Bring your Uchiha to work day' that he wasn't aware of?

"He'll be quiet. Won't you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke inclined his head, but was otherwise silent. Whether that was intended to demonstrate that he would do as she said or was simply his normal refusal to speak, Kakashi wasn't sure. The last time Sasuke had appeared in front of Kakashi was more than a week ago. It would seem that Sasuke's sudden willingness to express himself had been a fluke after all.

There was a slight sway in the way Sasuke was standing, the stink of alcohol hanging over him. Kakashi wrinkled his nose. "Is he drunk?"

"That's also why I didn't want to leave him alone at his house," she said quietly.

"Have you been drinking by yourself?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke ambled over to the Hokage's chair, collapsing into it, tucking his head between his knees. "It's not like I have anyone to drink with me."

This was seriously worrying. Although Sasuke had been fairly solitary for the majority of his life, he'd never shown physical signs before that it bothered him. Well, other than abandoning the village to seek revenge—but he never showed up drunk to the point where everyone could tell. Kakashi noticed Sakura clasping her hands together, biting her lower lip.

Kakashi went to the side table, pouring a euwer full of water into a glass then setting it in front of Sasuke. "Sober up. For the next hour, we're going to alternate water and coffee. Sakura, if you'd please brew up a pot?"

Normally, he'd never ask her to waste her time with something like coffee, but she seemed relieved to have something to do other than watch Sasuke wallow in his own misery.

"Need an aspirin?" Kakashi offered, pulling out a small jar from his lower desk drawer, doling out two white tablets into Sasuke's palm. "Rough night?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He washed down the pills with the water set before and slumped further into the seat.

"It'll get better." Kakashi decided against an awkward pat to the shoulder. In hindsight, he should have made the coffee and let Sakura counsel. He certainly wasn't chosen to be Hokage because of his people skills.

Sasuke's bloodshot eye landed on Kakashi, almost in challenge of that statement. Yikes, if his normal eye looked like that, the modified one hiding behind hair must be a horror show. Over the years, Kakashi had seen all of his former team members in various states of filth, owing to the fact that living in a tent in the wilderness tended to limit hygeine options. But this wasn't the wilderness, this was the comfort of their village, where there were showers, something Sasuke apparently seemed to have forgotten based on the thick coat of grease built up in his locks. His old fans would be distressed to see Sasuke's no-shower look.

"What purpose does this serve?" When a second glass of water was placed in front of him, Sasuke slid it back with two fingers.

"Well you see, if you hydrate your body, it helps to flush out the alcohol you've poisoned your body with." Kakashi returned the glass to its original spot.

"I don't want your help."

"Want and need are two different things. Now drink that water or I'll throw you in prison."

"You can't keep threatening that. It'll lose its magic," Sasuke grumbled, taking the glass and sipping it.

"We'll just see, now won't we?"

The rich aroma of coffee tinged the air, followed by the little sputter of caffeine infused liquid draining into the pot. Sakura came over to them, suggesting, "How about we go to the training grounds, for old time's sake?"

"Just drop me off at home," Sasuke muttered, staggering to his feet. The chair spun from the force of his sudden movement.

"Nope, we're going to the training grounds," Kakashi said, diving to catch the stack of papers Sasuke knocked into.

"Doesn't the Hokage have better things to do than waste his time with me?" Sasuke snarled.

"Well, that's a given, but luckily I have great staff members for when I need to play hooky." Kakashi shrugged off his outer robes, folding it over the top of his chair. "Any objections?"

This last part was directed more at Sakura, who asked, "Are you sure you want to come with us?"

"I need the exercise," Kakashi said, smiling.

After fulfilling the promise of pumping Sasuke with life-returning caffeine and hydration, Kakashi took hold of Sasuke's arm, choosing to ignore the half-hearted complaints grumbled.

#

Their first choice of training grounds turned out to already be occupied by genin going through their exercises. Shikamaru's face was completely disinterested as he blocked the rather clumsy blows aimed at him. His idea of 'teaching' was to have the children try and attack him all at once. He casually greeted the newcomers with a nod.

"Are these all your students?" Sakura asked, scanning the group at least ten people too large for a normal team.

"There aren't enough teachers to go around." Shikamaru sighed. He used one hand to grab the ankle of a girl who came flying at him with her leg extended in a kick. "Someone has to teach these brats."

"I've been looking into it, but there really is no helping the shortage. We lost so many good people," she said. "Well, we're here today, so perhaps you wouldn't mind us taking a few off your hands?"

Shikamaru hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at Sasuke with a measure of suspicion. Not everyone was so welcoming of his homecoming. She noticed, turning to Kakashi in a silent question. The hesitation was understandable as this could be a very bad idea. Ideally, teachers were supposed to guide the new generation into making good choices. Sasuke had made terrible choices. By this logic, Kakashi supposed this meant that he himself had been a bad teacher, but that was a given. Sasuke was technically still a genin, unable to participate in the chunin exams for a very, very long time. It probably didn't matter, as the label would be a formality. The only thing that would change was that he would be able to take higher ranked missions and Kakashi had no intention of sending Sasuke out just yet. The most pressing issue here was whether Sasuke's decision making skills were contagious.

Then again, pairing emotionally scarred teachers with students had always been business as usual in Konoha. Having something productive to do might actually help Sasuke.

"We'll both be here to supervise," Kakashi finally said.

"You want me to teach?" There was doubt in Sasuke's voice as he surveyed the kids who were now staring back in curiosity.

Each of them took on three students. Sakura immediately began explaining theory in manageable chunks, breaking down the information so that her kids could understand and taking the time to answer questions. Kakashi, on the other hand, disappeared into the trees to force his students to come find him. He gained a good view from his place as activity returned to the training area.

Sasuke…stood there.

Kakashi's sensitive ears picked up on a few conversations between the genin standing further away from the others.

"Isn't he the traitor?"

"My mom says it's a good thing the Uchiha clan is gone."

"Don't look into his eyes. I heard he can curse you right on the spot."

Kakashi winced. The gossip and wariness wasn't unwarranted, but was probably still difficult to deal with on a daily basis. He remembered going through something similar after his father took his own life. The constant dissection of his past, present, and future, even though in his case it hadn't been his fault, had grated on him as he sought to deal with the trauma on his own. His chest tightened as he thought of that time in his life. As an adult, he'd put it behind him. How had he done that without going insane? He suppressed a bitter laugh that would have given away his position. That's right. He did go insane, at least for a while.

If he could hear the speculation from his hiding place, he was certain Sasuke could too. While these days, Kakashi sought to put distance between himself and his former student, there was a time when he had cherry picked Sasuke as a successor of sorts. As a teacher, he'd misread them all based on what was on the surface. He assumed that Naruto only a well meaning idiot, unworthy of the legacy of the Yondaime. As for Sakura, she was a smart, but boy-crazed shallow child. Sasuke, with his tragic history, losing everyone he'd ever loved—he was the most like Kakashi.

An ugly thought reared its head in his mind: maybe that's why Sakura moved onto him. Kakashi wanted to slap himself for even thinking it. She wouldn't use him like that. Besides, if she was really so attached to the silent, brooding type with a sad past, then there were plenty of others like that in the village.

Kakashi was one of the people who made Sasuke as he was today. He fed that power hunger, that thirst for revenge, turning a blind eye (haha) to the turmoil within the Uchiha because he'd just assumed Sasuke would learn to live with it like he had.

He was too busy spying on Sasuke and his students making wary circles around each other that he didn't notice Sakura sneak up on him.

"Got you!" she said, landing on the branch next to him.

"You're not the one who should be looking for me." Kakashi turned away from Sasuke's stiff posture somewhat relax as the kids began to try out what he was explaining to them.

"The kids you were supposed to teach got tired of looking for you and came to me instead." She rolled her eyes.

"Shinobi need to learn how to find hiding enemies."

"Bull shit, you pulled this exact stunt when you were my teacher because you wanted to read your dirty books in peace." She giggled.

Since becoming Hokage, he wasn't allowed to carry around his books when he walked in public. It turned out, it's bad for approval numbers. "Well, you've learned since then how to find me. My methods worked."

"Come on, we're going to head to the lake to work on chakra control." She leapt down, landing neatly. He dropped after her.

"The kids really seem to love you," Kakashi commented as they followed the group leaving the training grounds. "Have you considered taking on a team of genin?"

"I have, but I don't think now is a good time with trying to do two jobs and helping Sasuke adjust." Sakura looped her pinky to his briefly, a secret show of affection that brought a smile to his lips.

"Speaking of Sasuke, he seemed to like teaching a lot more than I thought he would." Kakashi nodded over to the other man who was patiently answering the questions of the bolder genin who were less afraid of him.

"I wonder if there's a way for him…" she trailed off as she thought out loud. "Naruto could teach with him."

"We could say it's community service."

"And he wouldn't be alone all the time."

Sasuke, realizing he was the subject of their conversation, turned his head. "Stop scheming about me."

There would be more than a few roadblocks to get approval for their new little project. Kakashi wasn't entirely sure if he was being serious about it. He still had a few misgivings about letting Sasuke being around the youth, which was partly out of worry for the Uchiha, but also for the kids. Could kids handle being around a grumpy Uchiha for extended periods of time?

A girl with pigtails tripped and fell on her face with a decided lack of ninja grace. She grew red in the face, on the verge of tears when Sasuke approached her and offered his hand.

"Thank you, sensei," she squeaked, dusting herself off. She was about to run off when she stopped, looking back at Sasuke. "Can you teach me how to do the fire jutsu too?"

"If you'd like." The barest hint of a smile lifted the corners of Sasuke's mouth.

She nodded then rejoined her friends. This encouraged others to add their requests for Sasuke to teach them and he agreed to each and every one.

"Nice job, sensei," Kakashi said after the voices died down.

"Shut up," Sasuke said.

#

Kakashi sighed as he walked out of the Council chambers. They would 'deliberate' (read: gossip) about the proposal to allow Sasuke to teach genin students under the supervision of Naruto.

Sakura met him in the hallway, hugging him tightly around his middle. "Thank you so much for doing this."

"Boys get into trouble when they have too much time on their hands." Nonetheless, he accepted her hug, which was always pleasantly comforting.

"Do you think they'll go for it?"

"Not sure. The odds are a bit stacked in this case, but Naruto is going to be interviewed next."

"Yikes. I hope their hearing aids are turned on low."

After a few days of deliberation, the Council reluctantly gave permission for a trial run—provided they could choose the students and that Sasuke would submit to a mental evaluation.

"That's…fairly reasonable," Kakashi said, after reading the memorandum submitted to him. He handed it back to Sakura who pushed it back.

"Did you actually read what the mental evaluation would entail?" She pointed to a specific line.

"My eyes aren't what they used to be, you know that."

"The mental evaluation entails a complete catalogue of his memories. It's a huge invasion of his privacy."

Kakashi frowned. He glanced to Sasuke, who was sitting at the other desk, carefully inking characters into a notebook, much improved since his brush with alcoholism. His clean hair had been cut recently, exposing the back of his neck. He continued writing without commenting about their discussion on him.

"Doesn't this bother you?" Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"I will do it."

"You don't have to," Kakashi said.

"It's an opportunity for me to begin rebuilding trust," Sasuke said, setting his brush down. "What about you two?"

"Our memories aren't going to be probed," Sakura said.

"I am the only person, it would seem, who knows about your relationship."

Sakura folded her hands together, staring at them. Kakashi knew what she was thinking about: the threat of a corruption investigation. Judging by their reactions before, indignant at the very idea of someone else's memories being laid out like that, it was clear it wasn't something they wanted.

Sakura peeked over Sasuke's shoulder, seeing what was written there before he slammed it shut even though the ink wasn't dry. "Are these lesson plans?"

"I just had some ideas." His face was red. He averted his eyes, touching the cover of the notebook, his voice soft. "It doesn't mean anything. I will decline the evaluation if you wish me to."

Sakura and Kakashi exchanged glances, coming to an understanding. Whatever discomfort they may suffer, it might be worth it to help Sasuke.

"Don't worry about us," Kakashi said.

The mental evaluation took a few days, with Morino Ibiki in charge. Nothing, it seemed, would be spared: beginning from the time Sasuke defected from Konoha to the present. If Kakashi didn't know any better, he would guess that this was the opportunity that the Council had been waiting for—if they couldn't execute Sasuke, then the next best thing was to pick through his brain. In the end, Morino found nothing to indicate future plans to betray the village again. By coincidence, he passed Sakura and Kakashi on his way out of the Tower after the final session. His expression was blank, but Kakashi could see the tiny hesitation in his stride as he approached them. The man knew.

For one week, they lived with bated breath, until a request for the Hokage to appear before the Council arrived. Before they went down to the chamber, Sakura paced the floor of the office while Kakashi watched her from his desk.

"What are you going to do if they bring us up?" she asked.

"The truth." He lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

"I'm going to resign."

"No."

She threw her hands up. "You tried to fire me only a little while ago!"

"I've changed my mind. Look, it would be unfair of us to let Sasuke go through this and stay quiet about our own secrets."

She shook her head. "I'm more worried about you."

"Come here," he said. He accepted her into his arms, seating her in his lap, nuzzling the juncture between her throat and collarbone. She smelled of her favorite almond scented body wash and the laundry soap they used. He could breathe that in exclusively and he'd never tire of it.

"You're the one going down in the history books. Do you really want this to be part of what they write about you?" she murmured.

"If that's what they decide to remember me for, I can't control that. I've decided there's not much I can do, except just live the best I can." He rolled his eyes. "Okay, please don't point out that I'm not doing the best I can as Hokage, but I really think helping Sasuke is the right thing to do."

She lifted her face to press her lips to his. "Thank you. I know you still have your doubts about him."

"You don't?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." She sighed.

"Shall we go down?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

As Hokage, Kakashi generally avoided seeing the Council members if he could. He wasn't sure what their names were. Merely describing them as "old" was not good enough, because all of them were relatively ancient.

"Hokage-sama, we have finished reading through Morino's evaluation," the old one with a mole sticking out of the side of his nose said. There was a whistling noise from within his chest every time he spoke.

Kakashi straightened his shoulders.

"Much of it was troubling." The woman with pure white hair shook her head, her jowls trembling with the movement. "There is no doubt that Uchiha Sasuke collaborated with the enemies of this village in several attempts to destroy all that we hold dear."

"This village has taken a lot from Sasuke as well," Kakashi said. "It takes from all of us who serve it, but we choose to remain."

"You cannot compare—"

"I can and I will. If you think him a monster, a traitor, then he is what this village made him. There is good that comes out of us, but there is also the bad, the mistakes, the flaws. We can't stand around pretending that we're too up our own asses to think Sasuke's actions an 'aberration.' Orochimaru, Kabuto, Madara—they were enemies that came from within. But they and Sasuke are as much Konoha as you or I.

This is a crucial time for our village. We're broken, we're scared—and we've suffered. Now is the time we decide what our new course for the future will be. I am Hokage and I choose to discard the fear and suspicion we bred in the past." Kakashi leveled his gaze on them. "I choose forgiveness."

There was a slight intake of breath heard in the stillness that followed. He'd never spoken more than two syllables at a time during sessions like these, mostly because he couldn't be assed to argue with them. They stared at him now as if he just grown an extra set of arms.

"Fine words," the one with the mole said. The lines around his eyes gathered as he narrowed them.

"I have been known to have a way with speaking every once in a while." Kakashi shrugged.

"You realize the risk. These are our children that you are asking us to entrust to a potential madman."

Kakashi laughed. The Council murmured among themselves at the sudden outburst. He kept going until his shoulders stopped shaking. Under his mask, he smiled. "I'm surprised you didn't realize this before, but you entrusted this village to a _known_ madman. You ask broken men and women to defend you and we do it. We stand and fight gladly, but each time, we break a little more. Sasuke broke in more places than others. All I am asking you is to help me hold him together."

The Council members glanced at each other. There was silence for a long, long time.

At last, one of them proposed, "There will be a member of ANBU on duty at all times. Uzumaki Naruto shall also be present. Should there be the slightest sign of trouble, there will be orders that the Uchiha be taken out with no consequences to the killer. This would apply to any shinobi nearby should Naruto or the ANBU fail."

To this, they agreed.

As Kakashi and Sakura were about to leave the chambers, he stopped at the door. "Did Morino include any of Sasuke's personal memories concerning me?"

"There was a copy submitted to you if you'd like to read it." A Council member with a long gray braid shuffled papers together, neatening the stack by tapping it against the table. He moved away with the other members, all of them more interested in returning to their own schedules than the Hokage's question, dismissing it as an errant piece of curiosity.

Sakura was waiting for him in the back of the room. They walked out together, their fingertips brushing. He watched her out of the corner of his eye for her reaction. She noticed this, smiling, linking her pinky into his briefly.

"Thank you," she said.

And all of this was worth it.

For her.

#

The newly ranked genin milled outside of the Academy with their parents, proudly showing of their forehead protectors that signified they were part of the next generation of shinobi dedicating themselves to the future of Konoha. Kakashi walked among them, shaking hands with parents, speaking with teachers and giving solemn speeches about teamwork to the genin unlucky enough to catch his eye. Sakura smiled at him broadly when he returned to her side.

"What?" he asked.

"It's just a shame you want to retire, when you're just about getting the hang of this Hokage business."

"Always leave on a high, I always say." Kakashi deftly sidestepped a few girls chasing each other with a game created from the foreheadprotectors. "Which ones are going to be Sasuke's?"

"Those three in the corner over there," she said, nodding in their direction. Although the Council approved the request months ago, Sasuke agreed to wait until the next genin graduation. In Kakashi's opinion, that was a delay tactic on the part of the Council. Their ploy to see if Sasuke would screw up during that time. That was a severe underestimation of Sasuke's determination once he settled upon a goal.

The two girls and boy that Sakura referred to were arguing in hisses and whispers. The girl with bright orange hair moved her hands in animated gestures, waving around her newly received forehead protector. The other girl was dressed in a lime green outfit that made Kakashi certain he was going to lose his vision if he didn't look away. The boy wore a bright, highlighter yellow shirt. Just as Kakashi was wondering if these children were chosen for being colorblind, they broke into a tussle, dust rising in clouds around them.

"Oh boy." Kakashi cringed. Heaven help Sasuke.

#

One Year Later

Kakashi's ceremonial Hokage headwear was, in theory, waterproof. On more than one occasion, he'd been assured of this, and he'd made it a point to ask because of the situation he was in precisely at that moment, standing in Iwagakure, where it had been raining for one week straight.

One would think this kind of unseemly behavior by the weather would be limited to, oh he didn't know, a villaged named after rain like Amegakure, but Iwa? Their name meant _rock._ The rain had no business acting like a great flood was about to wipe the earth struggled with every step, his robes soaked through, tripling in weight and constricting his movements. The wind blew stinging water like needlepoints straight into his face.

Sakura, meanwhile, walked nimbly ahead of him, chatting with Ino as if they lived through pouring rain every day of their lives. Neither of them had bothered with makeup, but their skin held a pale glow that stood out from their colorless surroundings. Sakura turned around, noticing how far he'd fallen behind, motioning he should hurry. He took a second to appreciate the teasing smile on her lips. The tilt of her green eyes. The fabric of the waterproof cloak clinging to certain curves.

 _Get a hold of yourself Hatake._

He sighed. One week's travel on foot to Iwagakure, plus how busy they'd been in preparation for the Chunin Exam, and they'd barely seen each other during that time. The constant security protocols required of them were not helping. Pat downs, identity verifications, passwords that changed everyday (he was lucky Sakura was there to remind him), and the worst, making him stand knee deep in the mud while he was forced to remove his shoes for inspection.

The Stone nin were obsessed with studying shoes for weapons. He wanted to shake one of them and remind them that if he _really_ wanted to kill somebody, he'd convince Sakura to punch a hole through their chest with her bare hands. Now that was an idea that was becoming more and more appealing with every passing day.

Sasuke and Naruto were loudly making bets on how well their students would do. Although officially, they were Sasuke's students, Naruto had become a surrogate teacher to the unfortunate trio.

The group slowly separated, with the teachers going down to the arena with their students and the village leaders to the viewing box. Kakashi stood in a room carved into the mountain, staring down at the sheer drop that separated them from the ground. Water dripped from him into a puddle around him.

"Isn't this exciting? I can't believe our relations with the Iwa have improved so much," Sakura said. The other village leaders also had assistants with them who likely doubled as bodyguards if the worst came to pass, much like Sakura was prepared to do. It was a subtle reminder that the peace between them was a delicate balance they watched with a wary eye.

Gaara approached them and they greeted each other formally. Only Naruto really seemed to have the ability to get past that stony exterior.

"You have my congratulations, Kazekage-sama. Without you, none of this would have been possible," Kakashi said.

"It hasn't been easy. There are still many factions out there wishing to see the old ways of the Iwa return," Gaara replied. His pale eyes turned to the audience members filling the seats. "Naruto's presence has been helpful if only as a measure to keep the peace temporarily during the exams."

"They are coming to a close soon and nothing has happened." Sakura said.

"I see also that Uchiha Sasuke's students have advanced thus far." Gaara crossed his arms, but didn't look at them as he spoke.

"Yes, they're doing very well," Kakashi confirmed.

Gaara sighed. "I suppose that idiot Naruto spoke for him when Uchiha returned?" Then, under his breath he muttered, "Soft-hearted fool."

"Most definitely. And this id—" Kakashi coughed, catching sight of Sakura's murderous glare. "—ideal young woman here also put her name on the line."

"Do you think it wise?" Gaara watched the examinees making rounds on the arena floor as their villages they represented were announced. Something like a smile, or what passed for a smile for the Kazekage, formed on his lips as the Suna genin recognized some of the Konoha members and they acknowledged each other. "We've come far, both your village and mine."

Kakashi's last memories of the Chunin Exams had been before the war. These were the first ones organized since the villages began rebuilding. "Honestly, we are simply hoping for the best. It's rather apt that we begin this new era of peace by forgiving the mistakes of the past."

"Some would call that weakness, Hokage-sama."

"And I would call that rudeness, Kazekage-sama."

The kanji on Gaara's brow wrinkled as he lifted it. Before he could answer, a cry of alarm rose in the room. A deep rumble shook the floor they stood on. The walls began to close in, threatening to crush the occupants should they remain. Those trying the door found it sealed off, it being made of stone, the edges melted into the frame it was set in. The next logical thing to do was to jump out of the open end of the room, great heights never stopping healthy shinobi before. However, as one of the kage's assistants went ahead to scout for traps, she was sucked into the stone below without warning.

"Stand back, we're setting explosive tags around the door," someone said. Shortly after, a controlled set of bombs went off, the noise leaving a ringing sound in Kakashi's ears. As the dust cleared, masked shinobi poured into the small space, forcing them back to the edge. He lost Sakura in the increased chaos.

He shouted her name, but his voice was swallowed up in the din. He searched, desparation increasing by the second, for the head of bright pink hair. His eyes never stopped scanning, even as he dodged an attacker, throwing him off the edge.

Sakura found Kakashi, fighting her way through the enemies. He reached out for her, snatching her close as soon as he was able, finding that he could breathe again. He wiped blood dripping from a cut on her face with his thumb. Almost frantically, he searched her for more injuries. "You all right?"

"I'm fine. What about you?"

"Still kicking."

He looked down into the arena, where everything had stopped as people stared up into the viewing box to see what was happening. Below them was that sheer drop, the arena being built into a natural ampitheater in the mountain.

"I'll go first," Sakura said.

"No. My lightning can break up any stone based traps."

"Mr. Genius, it's raining. You'll electrocute all of us."

Ah. He'd been so focused on protecting her he'd forgotten his own shortcoming. "Try to avoid that first trap."

"Who do you think I am?" She tightened her gloves and leapt.

Ahead, Gaara cleared a path from his cloud of sand, releasing the grains into open cracks and forcing out the ninja inside.

"Go! I'll watch your backs." Gaara shouted.

Kakashi touched two fingers to his brow in thanks as they passed. The stone split and yawned like hungry mouths waiting to snap shut and swallow them whole. More attackers came at them, but they fought them off, moving in tandem, their abilties flowing together from practice. They were almost to the arena when an explosion tag lobbed Sakura into the air. His gut reaction was panic in seeing her hurt until the moment he realized just a half a second later that she'd jumped on purpose to avoid the trap.

The distraction was enough to slow him down as a horde of attackers fell on him from directly above, blocking out the sky. Pain assaulted his senses as kunai ripped into his flesh. They broke the chakra holding his feet to the moutainside and they plunged together, cutting through the wall of rain. His lightning would have thrown them all off at once, but he was soaked through. He'd be fried along with them. But water was not the enemy here. He went through a rapid succession of hand signs, increasing the weight of the liquid already around him.

Instead of aiming it at them, he used it against himself, plummeting faster than before by pushing the water against his body. It put enough distance between them. This was the tricky part now. He clapped one hand onto his upper arm as a chakra block. The other arm he aim and fired the destructive energy of the violet lightning. The technique electrocuted the attackers, as he'd planned. One less thing to worry about.

However, he was still falling.

He sighed as the wind whistled in his ears and whipped through the wet strands of hair. The limb he used to channel the electricity now flailed uselessly, pain roaring through the nerves. Sakura could probably fix that. If he didn't die from impact. He weighed his options. The attackers had separated him far from the mountain side. He could use the water technique again to make himself fall at an angle but the problem there was that currently, one of set of his fingers were not listening to him. He couldn't even form a fist.

Oh good, so this was how he died.

A blur of pink snatched him out of the air. They landed on the top level of the arena, the impact forming a small crater around them. Sakura straightened, still carrying him princess style securely in her arms. "The Iwa security squad is finally moving in. We can let them take care of this and see to our villagers." She hissed, noticing his blood seeping into her clothes. "Can you walk?"

"I _could_ , but being carried is nice." When he saw his joke falling flat he added, "I can make it. I know you'll catch me if I pass out."

They found the others as they were exiting the arena. Naruto jumped at the sight of them. "We're moving the students to an underground bunker in case there are rebels targeting them."

"Do you know if the hospital is secure at the moment?" Sakura asked.

"No word on that. It'd be better if you came with us."

The entrance to the bunker was nearby. The jounin teachers from every village stood guard at the other exits. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were left to watch over the group.

"Heal any of the kids first if they're hurt," Kakashi wheezed.

"No major injuries, thankfully. Just a few scrapes from the escape." Sakura kneeled at his side, cutting away his clothes now plastered to his skin with drying blood. "I can't believe you almost fell to your death. That would have really been a way to go for you after all of this."

"I think I knew you would catch me." He smiled.

"Idiot." She hastily caught the tear before it fell from her eye, brushing her face against her shoulder. She kept muttering 'idiot' under her breath as she worked on him. His smile broadened. It was music to his ears. He could listen to her calling him an idiot for the rest of his life.

Chakra healing was always soothing. The pain ebbed away, replaced by the gentle hum of Sakura's presence flowing warmly through his veins, stitching him back together. He drifted off. They were still in the midst of danger, but he had her at his side and Naruto and Sasuke a few feet away. With that knowledge, he could fall asleep even if bombs were going off around them. All right, maybe not that extreme.

When he woke up, Sasuke sat on guard next to him. Kakashi made a face because it wasn't Sakura.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "They're bringing in other wounded and they needed her help."

"I didn't say anything."

"You two make me sick."

"Hey."

"You asked me a long time ago if I love her." Sasuke stared straight ahead as he spoke. "I do."

"I thought we were over this." Kakashi shifted on the thin padding he was laying on. The cold cement floor seeped through the cotton.

Sasuke tilted his head back slightly. "We will never be over this. I will always love her, until the day I die."

"Have you told her this?"

"No. I never will. It's clear you're the one she wants." He smiled with his lips closed at some secret joke only privy to him. "But I want you to know. In case you ever hurt her, in case you ever stray, that I will still be there. I will always be there."

"Is that a threat?"

"I thought that was pretty clear."

Kakashi would never be scared of Sasuke if the little shit threatened to kill him or maim him, but that declaration. Oh boy that declaration. It would be a lie to say that it wasn't a tad bit frightening.

#

The rebels were subdued and security gave the all clear to resume the examination the next day while they launched further investigations. Alert would remain on high, but many of the students insisted on continuing. Damned if ninjas would let a little surprise attack stop them.

After the stress and adrenaline rush, Sakura and Kakashi chose to let off some steam with their favorite joint activity back at his hotel room. He was two fingers deep inside her when she locked her eyes on his, her green eyes sparking with heat. "Marry me," she demanded.

His newly healed arm nearly gave out from under him. "What?"

She twisted, moaning louder, "Marry me."

He watched her a moment longer as she gripped the sheets, her hips rising off the bed. His lids lowered halfway and he leaned closer, his face nearly touching hers. If it was possible, he was even harder than before. "Say it again."

"Kakashi, I'm so close."

He slowed his pace, dragging out her pleasure. "Again."

"Marry me!"

He withdrew his hand, seizing her thighs and dragging her to him. He thrust his erection into her with one stroke, all the way to the base of his length. She cried out. Her back arched and he admired the rise of her breasts. He thumbed one pale pink nipple in a slow circle. "Yes," he murmured.

She took his hand, lacing her fingers with his as she came. She came again before he was done. He rolled off her, laying on his side next to her. His heart was still racing. "Are we really doing this?"

She scooted closer, pressing a leisurely kiss on his lips. "No take backs. We're going to get married and live our lives together and fuck and argue about take out, maybe fuck some more…" She looked down at the cause of the sudden pressure pushing against her stomach. "Already?"

"That part about takeout must have really gotten to me. You know I love it when you talk dirty."

"I have to be able to walk tomorrow."

"So you tease me like this and leave me wanting?"

"I can't help it if you get turned on by weird things."

He pressed kissed on her throat, tasting salt on her skin. "Let's argue about takeout every night."

"Won't we cook sometimes?" She laughed as he nibbled her on a spot on her neck he knew she was ticklish.

"This is my condition, Sakura. We argue about takeout every night or we don't get married at all," he said seriously.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, taking his erection still slick from being inside her only moments ago in her hand.

"Arguing about takeout was a euphemism for sex right?" He hissed as she stroked him. His hips moved automatically as he thrust into her hand.

"We can negotiate later," she purred.

They didn't sleep much that night.


End file.
